Recipes for making homemade aromatherapy and body products are relatively easy to come by and even simpler to follow. When making bath salts with essential oils, a surprising number of the ingredients can be found in the home or in health shops. The end product is so much more rewarding than its store-bought counterparts and make cost-effective pampering treats and special gifts.
There is an astounding variety of different types of salt – some more suited to specific therapeutic needs than others. Dead sea salt is a crowd favorite – it contains valuable minerals only found in the region from which it originates, and possesses properties which nourish and revitalize the skin. Some even recommend it for the treatment of skin conditions like psoriasis, although a health professional should be consulted before implementing its use for this purpose. Other popular varieties include sea salt and Epsom salts.
There is also a number of types that are more exotic and less commonly used – though they will make for a wonderful addition to your preparation. These include the reddish colored Hawaiian or “alaea” salt, named after the sea-beds of that part of the ocean. Traditionally, it was and is still used in religious observances to cleanse and bless canoes and homes, and is known to reduce muscle aches and sprains and healing wounds.
Essential oils are Mother Nature’s way of meeting personal needs through our olfactory sense, along with a great many directly medicinal applications for which they are used. As natural as they are though, not all types are suitable for use in the bath or safe enough to come into direct contact with the skin. While most types of pure essential oils will be fine in the concentrations used in bath salts, do check if you’re unsure about any particular one.
Selecting the best oil will also rest on the ambiance that one intends to create and the effect of it on the senses. Lavender and Chamomile, are known to relax and soothe the body and mind, while citrus scents like lemongrass and orange, are used for invigoration and re-energizing. Ylang-ylang and sandalwood are known aphrodisiacs, believed to enhance sensuality. Although everyone’s skin type is sensitive to different scents or fragrances, common essential oils which produce skin irritation are basil, clove and cinnamon – generally essential oils you can associate with “spiciness”.
The creation and blending process is simple: Mix two or three different types of salt together, using different size grains for aesthetic appeal. After mixing them together, add 15 to 20 drops of the chosen essential oil per one cup total of salts, and blend it all together with a wooden spoon and allow to settle. If preferred, a natural moisturizing agent like sweet almond or olive oil will enhance the effectiveness of the bath salts. You can add the essential oils to one or or two teaspoons of almond oil, then add this to your salt mixture. One or two scoops of your final formula in the bath should give just the desired effect.
To create really special variations, one can add dried flowers or other herbs to the mixture, such as lavender, chamomile or rosemary, depending on the desired effect. Once your preparation is complete, store in a a closed container so the aromas don’t evaporate from your salts.
In one’s own creative space, at one’s own pace and with one’s own preferred ingredients, making bath salts with essential oils becomes a therapeutic and rewarding task. Whether for personal use, gifts or Christmas stocking stuffings, they can be enjoyed by everyone.
Care to learn further? Browse to the on-line resources about many individual medicinal aromatics like clove bud oil and organic Doug Fir oil on www.anandaapothecary.com.